Spring-support.



l.. EPKEIL.

SPRING SUPPORT.

APPLICATION mep APR. 11. |917.

Patente@ Aug. 14, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

L. E. KEIL.

SPRING SUPPORT.

APPLICATION man APR. 11. 1911.

Patentemug. 14,1917.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATHNEYS L. E. KEIL.

SPRING SUPPORT. APPLICATION msn APR. l1. 1917.

rammed Aug. 14, 1917.v

E @TATES -E LEWIS ERNEST IKEIL, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 ST. `:LOUIS CAR COMPANY,

OF ST. "LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORORATION OF MISSOURI.

ermite-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Auga 14, 1917,

Application ied April 1'?, 1917. Serial No. 162,670.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, Lnwrs ll. Kinn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Spring-Support, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

i The invention relates to cars, and its object is to provide a new and improved spring device arranged to cause the course of the car body to remain in nearly a straight line without up or down motion to insure easy riding especially in case of unevenness in the track which tends to cause thevtruck frame to move upward anddownward and thereby 'force the car body upward or pull the same downward. Another object is to provide means which transmits from the car truck to the car b ody the desired push or pull necessary to cause the car body to move 'forward orstop from motion y y with the truck.V Another objectis to make provision for the extension in the length of the main elliptical springs caused by their deflection under varying loads. A further object is to simplify the spring and draft mechanism of the truck to permit convenient removal of worn out or broken parts land replacement thereof by new ones.

Other objects will appear from the further detailed description of the spring support.

In order to accomplish the desired result, use is made of two spring devices, of which one is lighter than they other, the stronger spring device being mounted on the truck and supporting the lighter spring device, and the lighter being adapted to support the bar body, and a radius rod pivotally engaging the truck with the said lighter spring device to transmit from the car truck to the car body the desired push or pull.

I A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings orming a part of this specification, in

which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the car truck provided with the spring device;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of one ofthe spring supports as applied;

Fig. 4 is a cross section of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 8 andl showing more particularly the fastening of the elliptical spring to the journal box;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the spring support as applied;

Fig. 6 is a cross section of the same onlthe line. 4c-4 of Fig. 5 and showing more particularly the lighter spring device; and

lig. 1s a perspective view of the helical spring casing, the springY support and the follower in dlsassembled position.

To each end of each side beam 10 of the truck frame is bolted or otherwise secured a bracket 11 forming an integral part of the place on the tongue 15 by a suitable clip 17 l carried by the bracket 11.

- The free end ofthe quarter elliptical spring 16 extends through a side opening 20 into a spring casing 21 adapted to be bolted or otherwise fastened to the under side of the car body 22, as indicated in Fig. 1. 0n the top of the free end-18 of the elliptical spring 16 rests a cup 25 in which is seated the lower end of a helical spring 26 engaging with its upper end the under side of the top of the spring casing 21, as plainly shown in Fig. 4. The cup 25 is slidably mounted with the spring casing 21 and the said cup is provided with an integral depending rod 27 extending through an opening in the free end 18 of the ellip?l tical spring 16. The rod 27 extends a distance below the bottom of the spring casing 21 and on itfis held a cup-shaped follower 28 seated on a key 29 removably held in the lower portion of the rod 27 to allow removal of the follower 28. Un .this follower 28 rests a second helical spring 30-abuttingat its upper end against the underside of.a

cup 31 formed integrally on the under -sidev of the spring casing 21. As the upper helical spring 26 is seated on the cup 25 which latter rests on the free end of the elliptical spring 16 and the latter is practically not appreciably deflected under a light load, it is evident that the downward movement of the spring casing 21 compresses the upper helical spring 26, and 'as the lower helical spring 30 is supported from the free end of the elliptical spring 16 by the use of the follower 28, the rod 27 and the cup 25 it is likewise evident that this spring 30 is compressed and simultaneously with the com- 'pression of the spring 26 on the downward movement of the spring casing 21. By the arrangement described a double or tandem helical spring device is mounted on the free end 18 of the quarter elliptical spring 16.

The quarter elliptical spring 16 is considerably stronger than the combined strength of the two helical springs 26 and 80, and the helical springA device operates when the truck is carrying a light load while the elliptical spring 16 operates when the truck .is carrying a load which exceeds the strength of the helical spring device. Thus .the helical spring device deiiects for a limited distance and then becomes solid and with but a slight deflection on `the part of the elliptical spring 16. When the load is increased then the elliptical spring 16 solely carries the load.

The side of the spring casing 21 having the entrance end 20 for the free end 18 of the elliptical spring 16 is provided with lugs 40' carrying a pivot pin 41 engaging one end of a draft bar or radius rod 42 pivot ally connected by a pivot pin 43 with the upper end of the clip 17 used for fastening the elliptical spring 16 to the bearing portion 12 of the journal box, as previously mentioned. The draft bar 42 transmits the forward or backward motion of the car truck to the car body 22 and the said draft bar 42 extends above the journal box and the elliptical spring 16 and hence the latter and the draft bar are wholly independent one of the other and each is free to function without interference by the other and irrespective of the varying loads.

It is expressly understood that by the Lampes the two helical springs will. deflect' only/ slightly leaving the maximum deection of the quarter elliptic spring available for in- By supporting the car body in the'manner described, an easy riding thereof is insured especially when the truck wheels pass over uneven portions of the track, and thus the car body tends to remain more nearly in a straight line without causing undue up and down motion.

It will be noticed that by combining the spring support with the draft device the desired push or pull is transmit/ted to the car body from the truck. j

The several parts of the spring devices and the draft mechanism can be readily assembled or disassembled for repairs or other purposes, and the simplification of the parts and the combination of the draft mechanism of the truck with the spring devices thereof reduces the weight of the entire truck unit to a considerable extent.

The journal box shown and described forms the subject matter of another .appli-l cation and hence its special constructiin is not claimed in this application.

The car truck shown invFigs. 1 and 2 is provided at each side with a suitable brake mechanism. v

Having thus described my invention, I

. claim as new and desire to secure by Letters spring arrangement shown and describedy 1. In a car truck, an elliptical spring device mounted on the truck frame, and a tandem helical spring device mounted on the free end of the said elliptical spring device and adaptedto carry the car body, the said tandem helical Vspring device being lighter than the said elliptical spring device and becoming solid under a load which exceeds the strength of the light spring device.

2. In a car truck, a rigid truck frame having a journal box permanently attached thereto, an elliptical sprinattached to the said journal box, a tandemlielical spring dev1ce adapted to support the car body and carried on the free end of the said elliptical spring, the latte` being stronger than the tandem helical spring device, the latter deflecting for a limited distance and becoming solid under a load which exceeds the strength of the light spring device.

3. In car truck, a rigid truck frame having a journal box. permanently attached thereto, a quarter elliptical spring attached to the said journal box, a spring casing for the car body to rest on and tandem helical springs mounted in the said casing, one of the springs resting on the free endof they said elliptical spring.

4. In a car truck, a rigid truck frame having a journal box permanently attached thereto, a quarter elliptical spring attached to the said journal box, a spring casing for' spring device and becoming solid under a load which exceeds the strength of the light spring device, and a radius rod connecting the truck frame with the said helical spring device to transmit the draft from the truck to the car body.

. 6. In a car truck, a rigid truck frame hav ing a journal box permanently attached thereto, a quarter elliptical spring attached to the said journal box, a spring casing for the car body to restoon, helical springs one above the other, the said casing resting on the said springs, a support engaged by the said springs and resting ron the freeend of the said elliptical spring, and a radius rod connecting the truck frame with the said spring casing to transmit the draft from the "truck to the car body.

7. In a car truck, the combination of two spring devices of diii'erent strength, the stronger spring device being mounted on the truck and supporting the lighter spring device and the latter being adapted to support the car body, and a radius rod pivotally connecting the truck with the said lighter spring device.

the said elliptical spring and having a depending rod, and a follower held on the lower end of the said rod and supporting the said lower helical spring, the upper end of which bears against the underside of the casing.

9. In a car truck, an elliptical spring attached to the car truck, a helical spring casing on which a car .body is adapted to rest, the said casing being open at one side vfor 'the passage ofthe free end of the said elliptical spring, an upper helical spring and a lower helical spring, the saidhelical springs carrying the said casing, a spring support slidable in the said casing and supporting the upper spring, the said support rest- -ing on the free end of the said 'elliptical Spring and having a depending rod, a follower held on the lower end of the said rod and supporting the said lowerhelical spring, the upper end of which bears against the underside of the casing, and removable means on the said rod and engaging the said follower to removably hold the latter in positionon the rod.

10. In a car truck, an elliptical spring attached to the car-truck, a helical spring casing on which a car body is adapted to rest, the said casing being open at one side for the passage of. the free end of theJ Said Yelliptical spring, an upper helical spring 'and a lower lhelical sprin L), the said helical springs carrying the said l(-iasing, a spring support slidable in the said casing and sup- Iporting the upper spring, the said support resting on the free end .of the said elliptical spring and having a depending rod, a folv lower'held on the lower end of the said-`r rod and supporting ythe said lower helical spring, the upper end of which bears against the under side ofthe casing, and a radius rod pivotally connecting j the` said spring casing with the car truck.

11. In a car, the combinationv of a truck frame, a car body, journal boxes mounted on the said truck frame, a spring mounted on each journal box, a connection between the free end of the said Ispring and the car body, and a draft bar connectingthe said journal box with the corresponding connection of the spring with the car body.

12. In av car, the combination of a truck frame, a car body, journal boxes rigidly mounted on the said truck frame, elli tical springs mountedon the said journal oxes and extending lengthwise of the car, spring casings attached to the car body and each r i provided with tandem springs connected with the free end of the corresponding elliptical spring and draft bars extending lengthwise of the car and connecting the said journal boxes with the said spring casm s.

I3. In a car, lthe combination of a truck frame, Aa car body, journal boxes rigidly mounted on the said truck frame, elliptical springs mounted on the said journal boxes and extending in the direction of the length of the car, clips fastening the said elliptical springs to the said journal boxes, spring casings attached to the car. body, sets ofl helical springs mounted on the said casings monete and connected with the free ends of the said elliptical spring, a rod carrying spaced cups, helical springs, and draft bars pivotally the upper cup resting on the free end of the l10 connecting the said clips with the said elliptical spring, and helical springs, of spring casings. which one is interposed between the upper 14. In a car, a spring support compriscup and the top of the casing and the other ing an elliptical spring, a spring casing is interposed between the other cup and the adapted to support the car body and into bottom of the casing. which extends the free end of the said LEWIS ERNEST KEIL.

A @omen of thii patent may be obtained for ive cents each, lby addressing the Commissioner of latents,

Washington, D. U. 

